My tips on going through the border crossing interview in the U.S. and Canada

Hate the intense questioning that the U.S. and Canadian border guards ask you? I got so tired of it that I first applied for Global Entry and then later NEXUS.

Ben Schlappig from One Mile At A Time has a poignant article explaining he wants NEXUS because of the intense lines of questioning he gets from Canadian border guards. I completely agree with his sentiments—sometimes, the questions can get scary, frustrating, and invasive, especially if you get unlucky and encounter a tough border guard.

It would be quite easy for me to simply make this article into a free advertisement for the U.S. and Canadian governments. “Just get NEXUS” is what my friend thought this article would be about. Because that’s not a viable option for many people, I will not give that advice. Instead, I’ll be giving real advice meant for people without any Trusted Traveler Program memberships.

Before I start, I want to make it very clear that these are my personal tips. They have worked for me, a normal U.S. citizen with neither a criminal history nor any customs violations, with an extensive travel history between the U.S. and Canada. I am not saying these tips are going to work for everyone. In fact, certain travelers may be discriminated unfairly because they have been assigned higher risk scores by the U.S. or Canadian governments. For those cases, I sincerely apologize if you are unfairly targeted in that way and hope your situation improves as soon as possible. For the rest of you, I hope some of these tips will help you with your next border crossing.

My hope is that you will always be able to pass primary inspection as quickly and painlessly as possible, without being referred to secondary inspection.

If you are driving, roll down your back window too

This lets the border guard see your whole car. If they notice bags in the trunk, get ready to explain how long you are planning to stay in Canada, as well as the purpose of your trip (e.g. are you just visiting or planning to relocate?), and what you are bringing with you if it looks unusual (i.e. not a suitcase or ski equipment or something like that).

Recognize your rights at the border are limited

For both the U.S. and Canada, your rights at the border are limited. I’m not Canadian and I don’t know how the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms applies, but I do know the CBSA doesn’t seem to care much about one’s privacy. For the U.S., I can say that the CBP also doesn’t seem to care. Furthermore, they do not have to respect the entirety of your Fourth Amendment rights because you have no expectation of privacy when crossing the border. Your car, phone, etc. can all be searched.

Your car can and will be searched if you arouse enough suspicion. Sometimes, they will tell you to pop your trunk open during primary inspection, and other times they will refer you to secondary inspection. If you don’t want your car to be searched, it’s too late if they already decided to do so. Instead, keep reading for tips on how to minimize your risk of being referred to secondary inspection.

For the U.S., I recommend reading the ACLU’s guide on what rights you have at the border and how to exercise them when necessary: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/what-do-when-encountering-law-enforcement-airports-and-other-ports-entry-us

Don’t lie about, hide, or omit information

First and foremost, if you lie about any of their questions, there is a good chance they will know you lied. The border guards on both sides see a lot of information about you as soon as they swipe your travel document. Obviously, they will know your birthday and other basic demographic information on your travel document. What you might not realize is, they can also see your prior border crossing history between the U.S. and Canada, as well as any other prior entries into and exits from the country you’re crossing into. They can also see your criminal history immediately.

Here’s some of the information that the U.S. and Canada share with each other at the border: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/btb-pdf/mou-pe-eng.html

Additionally, if you buy stuff from the duty free store, the store clerk will either ask you for your passport or your car’s license plate during checkout. That’s information transmitted directly to the authorities of the destination country. If you do not declare the alcohol you bought from the duty free store, that’s considered lying and you’ll get sent to secondary for it. (And if you aren’t 21 yet, buying alcohol at the duty free store in Canada is a great way to be referred to secondary inspection and get in trouble with the CBP.)

Now, this doesn’t mean snitch on yourself. If you accidentally bring marijuana with you across the border and the scent can’t be sniffed from outside of the vehicle, it may be best to simply focus on answering the border guard’s questions to not draw attention to the marijuana. (I am not a lawyer, but some lawyers would say this.) Or you might get unlucky and a drug dog might come around and sniff out your marijuana. In that case, it’s best to stay silent and ask for an attorney immediately.

Whenever the border guard asks you a question, answer it as completely as possible. Yes, they might be invading your privacy, but they are just doing their job to see if your answers seem suspicious or not.

Example of hiding:

“Where are you going?”

”That’s none of your business!”

Sent to secondary.

Example of oversharing:

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to Aunt Patty’s house for her 53rd birthday. She recently got a divorce and we want to go to make her feel better after Uncle Vernon won the custody battle over their son Horace. We’re going to buy her a big birthday cake and surprise her.”

The border guard will cut you off halfway and hate you.

Example of a perfect response:

“Where are you going?”

“We’re going to our aunt’s house for her birthday party in Burnaby.”

Get your story straight

Have memory gaps? Not sure what you’re doing during your visit? That’s not going to end well for you.

When I say “get your story straight”, I’m not saying “make up a fake story”, because that violates the above tip I just gave. Instead, think out what you are doing on your visit so the border guard. The story of your visit has to make sense to an outside individual.

Keep the story simple too. Don’t talk their ear out. When entering the country you are trying to visit, the border guard is trying to ascertain whether you are coming to visit or to illegally settle in the country.

When visiting a country

For instance, in the summer, when I make day trips to Vancouver, I tell the border guards in Vancouver that I’m going to the Richmond Night Market. It’s a big enough attraction so that they’ll know what it is, and it makes sense for me to be going there for a day trip. I might stop by Walmart to do some shopping for Canada-specific treats, and I might mention it, but I’m not going to list out my whole shopping list unless they ask. (For instance, I might say I’m going to buy butter tarts because we don’t have any in the U.S.)

If you are staying the night in the country you are visiting, be ready to tell them where you are staying (i.e. the name of the hotel or Airbnb and the city it’s located in).

Also, get ready for the following questions:

• Why are you coming here?
• Why are you going to [the place you said you’re going to]?
• For how long are you staying here?
• Are you meeting up with anyone while here?
• Do you know anyone here?
• Where’s home for you?
• What do you do for a living? (Say your occupation and the company you work for)

If you don’t own your car, or if your car’s license plate doesn’t match where you say you’re from, get ready to tell them if you’re borrowing it from someone or if it’s a rental car.

When returning back to your home country

The border guards will ascertain what you were doing in the other country, making sure you’re not bringing back any contraband.

Questions they may ask include:

• Where’s home for you?
• How long were you there for? (Don’t lie—the border guards already know the answer to this.)
• What were you doing there?
• Did you meet anyone while there?
• What are you bringing back with you? Any raw fruits or vegetables?

Don’t be nervous

Being nervous when answering questions unfortunately raises suspicion, even if you are simply nervous about crossing the border and are not doing anything wrong.

One way to be less nervous is to practice before crossing the border and be honest when you actually pull up and talk with the border guard.

Practice makes perfect. Because I’m used to crossing the border, I’m not really nervous anymore. Most people can’t say that, which is totally fine—hence, the practice before the actual crossing will help a lot.

When the border guard asks you questions with doubt, ignore them and answer them normally. For instance, if you own a gun and insisted you didn’t bring it with you, the Canadian border guard may ask you why you didn’t bring it with you to Canada. This is a trick to see if someone is lying about not carrying a gun with them into Canada. The correct answer is “because it’s illegal”. Or for instance, “why are you going to the Richmond Night Market?” A bad answer is “I don’t know, because I just want to, and it’s none of your business”. A good answer is “because I like the Asian foods they have there and it’s fun”.

Don’t joke around

When the CBP agent asks you if you have anything to declare and you say “a newfound appreciation for these great United States of America”, you are risking being referred to secondary inspection.

Do not joke about anything that suggests you are breaking immigration or customs laws. Any semblance of you doing anything wrong and you will be referred to secondary inspection.

Don’t go against the interviewing officer

First of all, keep in mind each country has different lines of questioning for you. If you are citizen of the U.S., you will be asked why you are visiting Canada when entering Canada. Then, when coming back, you will be asked what you did in Canada and what you are bringing back with you. (And vice versa for Canadian citizens visiting the U.S.)

The country you are visiting has no obligation to admit you into their country. Show them some respect; it is a privilege for you to visit their country, not your right.

However, you do have a right to reenter your home country. Don’t act entitled, but you can rest slightly easier knowing that you won’t ever be deported from the U.S. if you are a U.S. citizen.

If you show attitude to the officers of a country you are visiting, they could deny you entry or even make you inadmissible to that country for an extended period of time.

When in doubt, declare

If the officer asks if you are bringing anything into the country, it’s better to over-declare rather than under-declare. Trust me. Saying you have nothing is suspicious. Listing off the inane things you are bringing back may sound annoying, but it reassures the border guard that you’re complying with the law.

The funniest exchange I had was when I used the NEXUS lane to enter Point Roberts:

CBP agent: Do you have anything to declare?

Me: Uh I have some poutine–

CBP agent: Go. Bye.

While normal travelers will normally not have such a painless experience (after all, this experience was from the NEXUS lane), the same principle still applies, whether you’re a trusted traveler or a regular one: declare random stuff. I imagine if I didn’t “annoy” the CBP agent with my declaration of poutine, I might either get lucky and they’ll wave me through, or they may press me on for more information.

Many people bring back food from restaurants. That’s totally fine if it’s cooked. Whenever I declare food and am bringing back more than two types of food, I don’t even bother listing it out half the time. I just say “it’s cooked food from a restaurant and some prepackaged cooked snacks”. Or I might be more specific to make it clear I’m not making up random BS. For instance, “I have some cooked Indian food from a restaurant and some baked treats”. Among the many border guards I encounter, I find they are always satisfied with this answer.

Here’s probably the most important thing to know: except for obviously illegal drugs, if you are declaring you brought something back that turns out to be not permissible to import (like fresh fruits), you will not get in trouble. Conversely, if you lie about not having it and then you’re caught bringing it back, you will get in trouble. That’s why it’s almost always better to over-declare.

If you’re a good person, it’s better to slightly overshare

If you know you’re doing nothing wrong, then oversharing tends to make the border guard trust you more and gets you past the interrogation faster.

Warning: this only works if you are absolutely sure you aren’t doing anything illegal or against the rules.

Don’t give niche details unless it’s absolutely essential to the purpose of your trip. For instance, mentioning that you are bringing back butter tarts with you to the U.S. will cause some border guards to ask you what the heck those are. Keep it simple and say “baked goods”.

But you can be a bit open while still preserving most of your privacy. For instance: “I’m planning on visiting downtown Vancouver and going to Stanley Park, then to some Chinese restaurants. I’m thinking Legendary Noodles.”

Or if you don’t have that figured out yet, “I’m planning on visiting downtown Vancouver. Tentatively our plan is to go to Stanley Park and then find some good restaurants nearby. We’ll leave the country by [the end of the night/tomorrow/the day after].”

Keep your responses concise but make them specific enough and be confident when replying to give the border guards a good impression that you’re telling the truth and not overstaying your visit.

Final thoughts

I’ve crossed the border many times, usually on weekend trips. I have never been pulled into secondary, and usually my interviews are much faster than the other cars in my lane. My experiences have always been painless since I follow these tips when being interviewed. Best of luck to everyone and hope these help!